venezuelan Opposition Figure Alfredo Díaz Dies in state Custody, Sparking Outrage and Calls for Investigation
Caracas, Venezuela – Alfredo Díaz, a former governor of Nueva Esparta and prominent opposition figure, has died while in detention, Venezuelan human rights NGO Foro Penal announced Saturday. Díaz, 55, had been imprisoned for over a year, reportedly held in isolation with limited family contact – only one visit from his daughter was permitted during his incarceration.
foro Penal President Alfredo Romero condemned the death, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “Another political prisoner dies in Venezuelan prisons. he had been imprisoned for a year, isolated. It’s outrageous! The State is responsible for the health of the person in it’s custody.” Vice President Gonzalo Himiob of Foro Penal confirmed the family had been notified and characterized the death as a “possibly unlawful death” under the Minnesota Protocol (2016), demanding an objective and impartial investigation.
According to Voluntad Popular (VP), an opposition party, Díaz died “hours ago” at the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), known as El Helicoide, reportedly due to a sudden heart attack. VP issued a statement asserting Díaz’s death was “a direct result of a system that persecutes,imprisons and destroys lives to stay in power,” adding he died “without freedom,without justice and without minimum guarantees.”
Díaz’s wife, Leynys Malavé, publicly demanded answers on her Instagram account, questioning, “What happened to my husband, did they kill him?” Leopoldo López, a leading opposition figure and VP leader, stated Díaz had repeatedly requested medical attention in the months leading up to his death, but was denied it.
Díaz,a member of the Democratic Action party,served as a councilor and mayor prior to becoming governor. he was arrested in November 2024 following the July presidential elections, which the largest opposition coalition deemed fraudulent, resulting in the re-election of President Nicolás Maduro. Prior to his arrest, Díaz publicly questioned the lack of detailed results from the presidential election and criticized the government’s description for a important electrical crisis in Nueva Esparta, which authorities attributed to opposition sabotage.
